Like all states, New Jersey has certain places that are going on hard times. These New Jersey places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in New Jersey.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 190 cities in New Jersey with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Here are the ten poorest places in New Jersey for 2023:
What’s the poorest city in New Jersey? According to the facts, Salem is the poorest place in New Jersey for 2023.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Jersey
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Jersey
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Cities In New Jersey For 2023
1. Salem
/10
Salem, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in New Jersey thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 5,237 people averages the lowest median household income in New Jersey and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Atlantic City
/10
Population: 38,481
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Income: $29,773 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 37.0% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 14,242
More on Atlantic City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in New Jersey is Atlantic City.
The city ranks as having the 2nd highest incidence of poverty and 2nd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 3rd highest in the Garden State.
3. Camden
/10
Population: 72,381
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Income: $30,247 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.6% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 24,340
More on Camden: Data | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Camden’s median income ranks as the 3rd lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 33.62771352059712% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Garden State.
4. Bridgeton
/10
Population: 26,643
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Income: $39,995 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 35.1% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 9,339
More on Bridgeton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Bridgeton ranks as the fourth poorest place in New Jersey.
The town ranks as having the 5th lowest median household income and the 4th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Trenton
/10
Population: 90,097
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Income: $39,718 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.7% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 24,946
More on Trenton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in New Jersey is Trenton.
The city ranks as having the 4th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 6th highest in New Jersey.
Still not the best news for Trenton.
6. Newark
/10
Population: 306,247
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Income: $41,335 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.8% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 78,935
More on Newark: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Newark ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Garden State.
It ranks as having the 7th highest incidence of poverty and the 9th highest unemployment rate.
7. New Brunswick
/10
Population: 55,671
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 3)
Median Income: $49,338 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 35.3% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 19,638
More on New Brunswick: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
New Brunswick places as the seventh poorest city in New Jersey.
The city of over 55,671 ranks as having the 3rd highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Pleasantville
/10
Population: 20,505
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Median Income: $44,008 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.5% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,014
More on Pleasantville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Pleasantville ranks as the eighth poorest city in New Jersey.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as the 6th highest in the state.
9. Paterson
/10
Population: 157,927
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Income: $48,540 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.1% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 39,587
More on Paterson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Paterson couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in New Jersey; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 11th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Paterson ranks as having the 9th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in New Jersey.
10. Passaic
/10
Population: 70,308
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 3)
Median Income: $49,436 (13th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.3% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 17,804
More on Passaic: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in New Jersey is Passaic.
The city of 70,308 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Garden State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In New Jersey for 2023
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2017-2021 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 190 places with more than 5,000 people in New Jersey, we ranked each place from 1 to 190 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Salem, crowned the “Poorest Place In New Jersey For 2023”.
This report has been updated for 2023, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in New Jersey.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In New Jersey For 2023
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in New Jersey, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in New Jersey.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in New Jersey, according to data:
-
Richest: Glen Ridge
2nd Richest: Chatham
3rd Richest: Little Silver
For more New Jersey reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In New Jersey
- Safest Places In New Jersey
- Worst Places To Live In New Jersey
- Most Expensive Places To Live In New Jersey
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In New Jersey
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salem | 5,237 | 37.8% | $26,667 | 1,978 |
| 2 | Atlantic City | 38,481 | 37.0% | $29,773 | 14,242 |
| 3 | Camden | 72,381 | 33.6% | $30,247 | 24,340 |
| 4 | Bridgeton | 26,643 | 35.1% | $39,995 | 9,339 |
| 5 | Trenton | 90,097 | 27.7% | $39,718 | 24,946 |
| 6 | Newark | 306,247 | 25.8% | $41,335 | 78,935 |
| 7 | New Brunswick | 55,671 | 35.3% | $49,338 | 19,638 |
| 8 | Pleasantville | 20,505 | 24.5% | $44,008 | 5,014 |
| 9 | Paterson | 157,927 | 25.1% | $48,540 | 39,587 |
| 10 | Passaic | 70,308 | 25.3% | $49,436 | 17,804 |
| 11 | Wildwood | 5,113 | 20.5% | $44,476 | 1,049 |
| 12 | Perth Amboy | 55,046 | 20.8% | $53,750 | 11,444 |
| 13 | Union City | 67,903 | 20.0% | $53,177 | 13,564 |
| 14 | Asbury Park | 15,305 | 20.5% | $54,676 | 3,141 |
| 15 | Prospect Park | 6,301 | 17.9% | $51,618 | 1,128 |
| 16 | Lindenwold | 21,048 | 16.5% | $48,454 | 3,472 |
| 17 | East Orange | 68,918 | 18.0% | $54,520 | 12,409 |
| 18 | Long Branch | 31,734 | 21.4% | $65,369 | 6,781 |
| 19 | Phillipsburg | 15,146 | 16.6% | $57,292 | 2,515 |
| 20 | Fairview | 14,918 | 14.9% | $54,904 | 2,227 |
| 21 | Freehold | 12,485 | 17.6% | $62,942 | 2,193 |
| 22 | Elizabeth | 135,772 | 14.7% | $54,415 | 19,973 |
| 23 | Plainfield | 54,183 | 17.1% | $63,750 | 9,274 |
| 24 | West New York | 52,485 | 19.9% | $65,913 | 10,463 |
| 25 | Woodbury | 10,067 | 14.8% | $64,271 | 1,489 |
| 26 | Millville | 27,946 | 13.2% | $62,111 | 3,679 |
| 27 | Glassboro | 20,284 | 20.1% | $71,608 | 4,075 |
| 28 | Harrison | 18,824 | 17.2% | $68,494 | 3,233 |
| 29 | Guttenberg | 11,833 | 14.8% | $65,532 | 1,748 |
| 30 | Vineland | 61,442 | 12.6% | $60,018 | 7,770 |
| 31 | Keansburg | 9,781 | 22.7% | $76,101 | 2,220 |
| 32 | Garfield | 32,481 | 14.7% | $66,296 | 4,783 |
| 33 | Pine Hill | 10,637 | 12.9% | $63,892 | 1,373 |
| 34 | Paulsboro | 6,234 | 9.9% | $45,929 | 617 |
| 35 | Somers Point | 10,470 | 11.7% | $62,844 | 1,219 |
| 36 | Gloucester City | 11,438 | 11.2% | $59,926 | 1,282 |
| 37 | Burlington | 9,800 | 14.6% | $73,045 | 1,430 |
| 38 | Clementon | 5,271 | 10.1% | $57,895 | 534 |
| 39 | Dover | 18,418 | 12.4% | $69,434 | 2,274 |
| 40 | Ventnor City | 9,333 | 11.5% | $66,783 | 1,076 |
| 41 | Bellmawr | 11,631 | 10.8% | $66,667 | 1,258 |
| 42 | Hackensack | 45,723 | 12.4% | $73,716 | 5,679 |
| 43 | Absecon | 9,039 | 10.1% | $65,194 | 908 |
| 44 | Somerdale | 5,476 | 14.2% | $76,817 | 776 |
| 45 | Jersey City | 287,146 | 16.1% | $81,390 | 46,355 |
| 46 | Collingswood | 14,087 | 11.8% | $74,327 | 1,663 |
| 47 | Lodi | 25,983 | 10.8% | $70,821 | 2,809 |
| 48 | Bayonne | 70,553 | 11.1% | $72,839 | 7,851 |
| 49 | North Plainfield | 22,635 | 12.0% | $76,355 | 2,705 |
| 50 | Palisades Park | 20,291 | 11.9% | $76,297 | 2,416 |
| 51 | Washington | 7,172 | 9.0% | $63,183 | 645 |
| 52 | Red Bank | 12,825 | 13.4% | $80,781 | 1,712 |
| 53 | Dunellen | 7,580 | 14.2% | $81,525 | 1,076 |
| 54 | Keyport | 7,204 | 9.1% | $66,025 | 652 |
| 55 | Newton | 8,423 | 9.1% | $69,107 | 765 |
| 56 | South River | 16,087 | 12.4% | $82,031 | 2,001 |
| 57 | Hammonton | 14,695 | 10.7% | $76,804 | 1,566 |
| 58 | Elmwood Park | 21,239 | 9.8% | $75,091 | 2,091 |
| 59 | Kearny | 41,790 | 10.2% | $76,647 | 4,244 |
| 60 | Wharton | 7,175 | 14.4% | $89,056 | 1,034 |
| 61 | Wallington | 11,833 | 9.2% | $75,410 | 1,085 |
| 62 | Woodland Park | 13,265 | 11.6% | $84,729 | 1,544 |
| 63 | Stratford | 6,967 | 10.3% | $81,310 | 718 |
| 64 | Roselle | 22,511 | 8.2% | $68,369 | 1,848 |
| 65 | Manville | 10,861 | 9.3% | $79,766 | 1,013 |
| 66 | Carteret | 25,077 | 8.6% | $74,583 | 2,165 |
| 67 | Bound Brook | 11,799 | 8.0% | $69,491 | 939 |
| 68 | Englewood | 29,129 | 12.0% | $91,164 | 3,487 |
| 69 | Ridgefield Park | 13,202 | 10.3% | $86,502 | 1,355 |
| 70 | Brigantine | 7,890 | 9.2% | $81,830 | 728 |
| 71 | Barrington | 7,031 | 8.0% | $73,380 | 562 |
| 72 | Cliffside Park | 25,515 | 10.5% | $89,387 | 2,671 |
| 73 | Hackett | 10,221 | 8.4% | $79,621 | 863 |
| 74 | Palmyra | 7,429 | 8.3% | $78,736 | 617 |
| 75 | Rahway | 29,582 | 8.5% | $81,368 | 2,527 |
| 76 | Runnemede | 8,316 | 8.2% | $80,302 | 678 |
| 77 | Highland Park | 14,947 | 8.5% | $85,652 | 1,265 |
| 78 | Clifton | 89,460 | 8.7% | $86,616 | 7,825 |
| 79 | Linden | 43,387 | 7.7% | $80,200 | 3,333 |
| 80 | Eato | 13,446 | 8.2% | $83,561 | 1,108 |
| 81 | Ocean City | 11,211 | 8.8% | $88,414 | 981 |
| 82 | Fort Lee | 39,701 | 9.4% | $92,456 | 3,713 |
| 83 | North Arlington | 16,339 | 10.2% | $94,012 | 1,659 |
| 84 | Belmar | 5,869 | 8.8% | $90,461 | 516 |
| 85 | Clayton | 8,818 | 9.2% | $96,776 | 812 |
| 86 | Boonton | 8,770 | 7.7% | $85,948 | 677 |
| 87 | Tinton Falls | 19,053 | 9.1% | $96,294 | 1,731 |
| 88 | Little Ferry | 10,973 | 5.6% | $77,368 | 610 |
| 89 | Roselle Park | 13,973 | 6.4% | $85,427 | 899 |
| 90 | Middlesex | 14,513 | 7.7% | $90,162 | 1,123 |
| 91 | Morristown | 20,003 | 10.7% | $112,570 | 2,143 |
| 92 | Pompton Lakes | 11,113 | 8.5% | $100,906 | 949 |
| 93 | East Rutherford | 9,918 | 5.9% | $86,592 | 587 |
| 94 | South Amboy | 9,320 | 7.0% | $93,859 | 653 |
| 95 | Haledon | 8,936 | 7.3% | $94,146 | 651 |
| 96 | Hasbrouck Heights | 12,120 | 8.0% | $102,639 | 975 |
| 97 | Jamesburg | 5,784 | 6.1% | $93,000 | 349 |
| 98 | Pitman | 8,812 | 4.3% | $84,303 | 376 |
| 99 | Sayreville | 45,062 | 5.3% | $89,600 | 2,375 |
| 100 | Kenilworth | 8,377 | 8.3% | $107,316 | 696 |
